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18 year-old Chinese international student killed, three others injured in Scarborough house fire

An 18-year-old Chinese international student is dead and three others injured after fire engulfed a home near the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus early Wednesday morning.

“This is a terrible tragedy,” said Bruce Kidd, vice-president and principal of U of T, Scarborough, in a statement. “The thoughts of the entire campus community are with the family of the student who was killed in the fire and with the three other students who were in the house.”

An 18-year-old student is dead and three more injured after a house fire near the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus early Wednesday. (Dan Pearce/Metroland)

Kidd added the school has reached out to the students to offer support.

The fire, which burned through multiple storeys of the detached house at 10 Haida Court., near Ellesmere and Conlins Rds., started at 2:30 a.m., firefighters said.

The woman — whose name has not been released — was found dead in the house after the flames were put out, fire investigators said, adding that three other occupants were taken to hospital, including one who jumped out a window.

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At least four students lived in the single-family house, said Jim Jessop, Toronto’s deputy fire chief, at the scene.

By noon, the provincial fire marshal and coroner had both arrived at the scene and officers could be seen going door to door in the neighbourhood.

Neighbours told the Star the area — largely made up of detached homes with perfectly manicured lawns — has become popular with U of T and Centennial College students.

“There’s tons of students here. They’re all international,” said Brian McConnell, a 10-year resident of the neighbourhood. “So many of these houses all have basement apartments that are rented out to them.”

“I was shocked,” McConnell said. “I hate the feeling that a student died.”

The house clearly suffered significant damage in the blaze. The roof, windows and front entrances all appeared to have been destroyed. A staircase, visible from through the front door, appeared visibly burned.

An open garage door revealed a clutter of items: What looked like a handful of smoke detectors and wiring on a shelf; shoes and clothes on the floor, some of which appeared to be charred; and a clothes rack and several mattresses.

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Jessop told reporters the initial investigation revealed there was no second exit in the basement — a violation of the Ontario fire code, he said.

Peter and Rita Marinos, who live next door, said the flames woke them in the early hours of the morning.

“I thought the sun had come out,” Peter Marinos said.

“It was a large flame just shooting through the roof of the house,” Rita Marinos said. “I’m still shaking on the inside from seeing something like that.”

The couple said they didn’t encounter their neighbours much, and assumed they were always inside studying.

Jessop estimated the damage to the house to be in excess of a million dollars. The investigation will continue over a number of days.

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